Fighting Fat With an Earlier Bedtime
Parents struggling to help Junior lose a few pounds may want to send him to bed early. A new study published in the current Child Development finds that children who sleep more tend to weigh less than children who sleep less and are less likely to be overweight five years later. The researchers twice surveyed 1,441 kids about their sleeping patterns and weight, at a five-year interval. The children were all between the ages of 3 and 12.
"Our study suggests that, especially for younger children, an early bedtime is important. If kids need to get up at 6:30 or 7:00 a.m., parents of young children ages 3 to 8 might want to focus on an 8 o'clock bedtime," says Emily Snell, a Northwestern doctoral student in human development and social policy and the coauthor of the study. The effect was less pronounced among children older than 8, although a later wake-up time seemed to reduce their likelihood of being overweight.
The mechanism between sleep deprivation and weight gain is not clear–nor is it clear that there's a cause-and-effect relationship. But Snell speculates that sleep deprivation affects the levels of appetite-regulating hormones. Environmental causes probably play a role, too: More waking hours equals more time to eat. Indeed, she cautions, calorie intake and physical activity are the critical factors.
How to improve the odds a child will get a good night's sleep? Create a regular sleep routine, ban caffeine after lunch, and get the TV out of the bedroom.
advertisement
